Hueco Anchor

[Iceaxe]

I was looking through my old pictures (2005) and found this little sweetie that I thought ya'll might find interesting. It was in Adobe Swale.... and it was not one of my anchors, it was just something we came across.....

The anchor was for a 50-foot rappel and was created by wedging a carabiner into the bottom of a hueco. And than small rocks were jammed above the biner to stop it from popping out of where it was wedged.

It must have worked as there were no bodies at the bottom of the rappel. This rappel station is kinda difficult as its just a very small hanging garden and there is very little natural material to work with.

We didn't use this rappel anchor (we stacked a couple rocks behind a small ledge instead). My biggest fear with the hueco anchor was the rocks jammed above to stop the biner from popping out were very soft sandstone (think brown sugar). To be completely fair, it should be noted there was anther rock jammed into the top of the hueco when we first found the anchor. That rock was removed when we first arrived and started inspecting the anchor.

Anyhoo.... feel free to comment, remark, make fun of, tell g-pick jokes, ask questions, call me a wussy ....

[david_mcnay]

I think I'm most worried that it's loading the gate of the biner. Couldn't you have just slung a rock and wedged that in the hueco?

[Iceaxe]

That was probably not the original position of the biner.... we disassembled the anchor when we first discovered it trying to figure out how it worked....

And than we clumsily put the anchor back together for the picture.... the anchor was than removed after the picture to clean up the rappel station.

I'm guessing whomever constructed the original anchor had some major skillz... you just don't see something like that from noobs or those lacking experience... but I did consider the anchor sketchy so who knows....

And I think they slung the biner because that was the only thing strong enough that was trust worthy in the area. Everything was sandstone and it would be hard to ever trust a small sandstone rock not to crumble.

If I remember this rappel correctly its a 160' rap to a small hanging garden, immediately followed by a 50' rappel. There is very little to work with at the hanging garden. I believe we ferried (in a backpack) three big rocks down from the top of the 160' rappel to create a new anchor. This is why it's always a good idea to check out a rappel station before the entire crew commits to the rappel.

This is one of those anchors you occationally find that are baffling.... I would be thrilled to know the anchors history....

.

[CarpeyBiggs]

I'm pretty sure Steve Mestdagh put that biner-bueco anchor in there.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/canyons/message/38982

[Iceaxe]

Nope... that's not it... my picture was take in late 2004 or early 2005 and Steve's post is from 2007...

But the really telling point is the previous post "Who ever placed this has a great eye for anchor placements. Don't worry, it is/was fully backed up and equalized with a deadman buried below when we last were there."

There was no deadman or way to put a deadman anywhere near this anchor.

I also used to talk a lot with Steve and would have known if it was one of his...

[ratagonia]

I think I'm most worried that it's loading the gate of the biner. Couldn't you have just slung a rock and wedged that in the hueco?

Cross loading on the gate of a biner is 7 kN or about 1575 lbs. Looks like a locking biner locked. So should be OK.

T

[Canyonbug]

We found this anchor in that state when we came through in 2005. Unfortunately my photo is locked in crashed hard drive or I'd check.

There was a deadman next to it that we used when we went through. We left the Huaco anchor for nostalgia. We had heard about it and knew we would see it.

Shane is right, there is nothing there at this rappel station. The previous rappel is a hard enough pull as it is that you don't want to do the next rap without getting your rope first.

The deadman that was there was in soft / moist ground and if you stood up to start the rappel the anchor would start pulling up. We had to sit and shimmy off the lip to get going and let friction help out.

If I recall though (probably not very well) I was thinking the rappel was only about 30 ft.

I have a video of the descent posted on our blog: http://northwashoutfitters.com/blog/?page_id=68 . There's a quick shot of the afore mentioned anchor. At 4:20 is a still shot of me starting the second stage of the long rappel Shane mentioned. 4:28 starts footage of John and Jason completing that rappel, then there is a still of the anchor in the same positon as in Shanes photo.

[CarpeyBiggs]

well, that would be very strange if two different parties did the same technique...

or is it more likely he placed it with his partner Bill Daniels sometime long before that picture was posted and the group discussed it, and it remained there for a couple years?

either way, an instance of the hueco-block was put in by steve and his partner. he says plainly that they placed it, and WyoDave confirms it was there in October '06. the thread even explains why they put it there.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/canyons/message/38972

Although building it was a group effort (ya, think that'll work ; nah, let's to
do this, etc), I didn't come up with the original idea. My partner, Bill
Daniels, is to blame for this. hah

We didn't think to haul up rocks from below (good idea from Tom J's mail). Lot's
of good ideas though if you look around. .. slinging the hole between 2 huecos,
knots in constrictions, slinging a pebble placed in a crack (Mr. Dallin,
remember that pebble holding the big rap on N. Fork No Man's?). Didn't learn
this stuff canyoneering though.

[mdd]

Nope... that's not it... my picture was take in late 2004 or early 2005 and Steve's post is from 2007...

I'll ask Steve, or at least point him to this thread. My understanding is that his group did place it, before the canyon beta was first published, sometime in the early 2000's (i.e., before 2005).


M

[Iceaxe]

OK... I just went back and looked at my notes and I'm pretty sure it is Steve's... he was certainly in the slot before us (Steve told me how much rope was needed)....

The deadman at the hanging garden was built be myself, Scott Card, Spidey and Sam Gregory.... in early 2005.... same time the picture at the top of this thread was taken.

We dismantled the Hueco anchor to see how it was constructed but rebuilt it before we left because we thought it was cool... we built the deadman and rappeled off of it, but the two anchors were not tied together or equalized.... that must have been done later by someone else....

Maybe Scott or Spidey can add more...

I'm surprised the original anchor lasted until 2007 when Dave and Malia saw it.

[Scott Card]

Yes, I remember that anchor. That was during my impressionable years. Shane, I thought we left the biner/huecho after building the dead man? Also, I thought John found the big rock up and to the left LDC that we used as the main anchor rock. We also learned how good electricians can dig. Way to go John. Anyway, my memory is a bit fuzzy as to where all the rocks came from. I just know I was glad to get down.

[Scott Card]

You beat me to it Shane. You can't forget John, our electrician digging fool. Also, we only encountered one anchor, the huecho anchor. None of us were willing to trust that. That was a fun day but what really made the day worth it was Zero G!

[Iceaxe]

This was also in my pre-trip notes so I guess it wasn't a total surprise....

interesting anchor you'll have to see to believe (carabiner wedged in to a solution pocket).

[Iceaxe]

That was a fun day but what really made the day worth it was Zero G!

Hahaha.... yeah I remember... We had uncovered Zero-G the week before and couldn't wait to show it to someone... I believe there was also anther friend of yours with us... the motorhome dude that took a tumble in Zero-G?

It's hard for me to remember details from 5 years ago.... that's why I keep notes.

[Scott Card]

I believe there was also anther friend of yours with us... the motorhome dude that took a tumble in Zero-G?

It's hard for me to remember details from 5 years ago.... that's why I keep notes.

That would be Larry. Sorta had to dig that beast of a motorhome out of a little dry creek bed. We told him to goose it, but no..... (had he gunned it he probably would have had all four wheels off the ground) I also think Eric was there too because I remember the motor door flying open about 2:00 am. John and I were outside in a tent if I remember. Spidey was in the motor home with Eric and Larry and apparently Eric or Larry was snoring up a storm and Spidey couldn't take it any more. BANG, the door flys open, and I wake up and look up to see Spidey dragging a noisey tarp out of the motor home all the while muttering to himself. Ahh, the memories.

[forum8fox]

That's a cool anchor, fairly creative.

I'm guessing it's the work of a climber as the first thing that comes to mind to me when I see the riging is that it cams just like a big bro!

I think that we would have rapped off it for sure, utalizing a meat anchor for all but the last and lightest, just like with pot shot anchors. That would have really been nostalgic.

that's another good trick to add to the book, using biners as cams and chocks.